FOOTNOTES:

[208] Dagger.—­The king visited the
shrine on his way to battle, and hanging up his dagger,
the then symbol of knightly valour, vowed to release
it with a kingly ransom if God gave him the victory.
He obtained his desire, and nobly fulfilled his vow.

[209] Tyrants.—­J. Roderick
O’Flanagan, Esq., M.R.I.A., has permitted me
to extract the account of the battle of Dundalk from
his valuable and interesting History of Dundalk
and its Environs. Dublin: Hodges and Smith,
1864. This gentleman has devoted himself specially
to elucidating the subject, and with a kindness which
I cannot easily forget, permits me to avail myself,
not only of his literary labours, but even to transfer
to the pages of this work several complete pages from
his own.

[210] Chess.—­Flann Sionna, Monarch
of Ireland, had encamped on this plain, and ostentatiously
commenced a game of chess as a mark of contempt for
the chieftains whose country he had invaded. His
folly met its just punishment, for he was ignominiously
defeated. See Wars of the Gaedhil, p.
113, note.

[211] Valour.—­Wars of the Gaedhil,
p. 101.

[212] Belach-Lechta.—­The site has
not been definitely ascertained. Some authorities
place it near Macroom, co. Cork.

[213] Glen-Mama.—­The Glen of the
Gap, near Dunlavin. This was the ancient stronghold
of the kings of Leinster in Wicklow. There is
a long and very interesting note on the locality,
by the Rev. J.F. Shearman, R.C.C., in the “Introduction”
to the Wars of the Gaedhil. He mentions
that pits have been discovered even recently, containing
the remains of the slain.

[214] Deeds.—­The origin of surnames
is also attributed to Brian Boroimhe, from a fragment
in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, supposed
to be a portion of a life of that monarch written by
his poet Mac Liag. Surnames were generally introduced
throughout Europe in the tenth and twelfth centuries.
The Irish gave their names to their lands. In
other countries patronymics were usually taken from
the names of the hereditary possessions.

[215] Fifty-three.—­See Dr. O’Donovan’s
note to Annals, p. 747.

[216] Fidh-Gaibhli.—­Now Feegile,
near Portarlington.

[217] Given.—­The Book of Rights
mentions, that one of the rights to which the King
of Leinster was entitled from the King of Ireland,
was “fine textured clothes at Tara,” as
well as “sevenscore suits of clothes of good
colour, for the use of the sons of the great chieftain.”—­Book
of Rights, p. 251. From the conduct of Gormflaith,
as related above, it is evident that the tunic was
some token of vassalage.

[218] Murrough.—­He was eldest son
by Brian’s first wife, Mor. He had three
sons by this lady, who were all slain at Clontarf.